According to al-Hayat, Abbas has changed his mind about extending his term after it expires on January 9, which Hamas officials have threatened to ignore.

The article stated that Abbas has had enough of battling Hamas and following consultations with Arab leaders, including Syrian President Bashar Assad, has decided to call for new elections.

What will happen in the interim -- between January 10 and April -- is unknown. Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip said they will appoint an interim president -- the head of the Palestinian Legislative Council -- when Abbas's term ends.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar dismissed the recent declaration by the Palestinian Liberation Organization's Central Council, which made Abbas the president of the state of Palestine.